Lock embodying a key-ejecting mechanism



LOCK EMBODYING A KEY-EJECTING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1949 I I LJ/ [M F169 BY ATTORNEY.

-- ent invention is applicable.

key-e3ecting'mechanism'cannot lock.

Patented Aug. 12, 1952 -Ell/[BGIYYING A KEY-EJECTllNG 'MECHANISM' v .1 .Anicetoic.illisitacion, NewYorln-NJZ.

menities February 16,1949; Serial N6. "16,740

-3: Claims. (01. 376- 388) L 'This-inventionrelatesto a key ejecting mechanism 'for--ignition, household,- and other locks =-of"conventional makew" The principal object of this invention isthe provision f a-key ejecting mechani-sm; which is adapted-to eject a-'key from a cylinder lock when 1 the cylinder of the lock "is in-locked condition. The mechanism is prevented -from ejecting the '--key-when the cylinder" is in unl'o'cked condition,

-' Key ejeatingmechanisms-have heretofore been dvisedand patented. 1n-a1l cases, known to applicant, however, special locks were needed to accommodatethe key ejectingmechanismsfl The present invention, on the other hand; isof akey V 1 ejecting'mechanismwhichis so designed as to adapt it 'for incorporation into conventional cylinder'locks. The key" ejecting mechanism of the present invention automatically ejects thekey from a locked look; but it-isprevented from ejecting the key from aflock the cylinder of which:- is in unlockedi condition. 7

i It is-a'c'cordingly' a second'object of the invention -to provide akey eje'cting mechanism of the character described; which is suitable for use in connectionwith conventional c-ylinder locks of various types.

The invention herein claimed will hereafter'be "described in terms :of its application. to a cylinder lock of the household type. It'will be understood, however, that thisytype of lock is merely illustrative of the many types to which'ithe'pres- The drawing' 'also illustrates theapplication of'the present invention to this type of look but again this should be understood as being merely illustrative of the present invention.

' The invention is not. limited-to those types oflocks in which it is desirable that the key remain in the lock when the latter is in unlocked condition. It is desirable, in many cases, to withdraw the key from the look when the key is in unlocked condition, as well as when it is in locked condition. 'In such locks, the key occupiesthe same position when the lock is in unlocked condition that it occupies when the lock is in locked condition. Hence, the key ejecting mechanism of thepresent invention is free to act upon the key in either case. In those locks where it isdesirable that the key remain in the 50 look when the latter is in unlocked condition, the unlocked position o'f'the'key is different from its locked position. The key-ejecting mechanism is free to eject the .key when the lock is in locked condition, but the key is so positioned when the lock is in unlocked position that the eject it"from'the "It is quite conceivable" thatunder certain .cir

--locked-position 1 and to 2 If leave the key in -the lock when the latteris in locked position. This w'ould constitutea situation which is quitethe reverse of the first situation above described. The .key-

. -ejectingmechanism-of-the present' invention is equallyadaptedfor use in this third type oflock.

In all'cases the :key maybeejected only when the lock cylinder. is rotatably positioned.inlits housing tov enable its tumblers to align with their respective socketssinxthe cylinder housingsso th'at the tumblers' free the keyand lockathe cylinder i against-rotation in its housing.

.i A-preferred form-act the DIQSBIItIlIIVEHtiOHciS shown in. the accompanying:drawings in which:

and cylinder of. said. lock.

. A Fig; 1: is a'face viewlof a'conventional cylinder lock, suchtas is used'inprivate homes.

I Fig. 2 is a backview ofthelatching assembly iof said'cylinder lock.

I Fig. 3. is. a back view ,of the cylinder housing Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof showing the keyejecting mechanism of. the present invention incorporated therein. 1

:zwFig. 5 is a side view thereof.

' Fig. 6 is a side view ofsaid .cylinder'and a sectionalview throughthe latching mechanism I connected thereto.

Fig. '7 is a side view of thekey for said lock. Fig.8 is a perspective view of part of the keyejecting mechanism.

Fig. 9 is adiagrammatic view similar to that of Fig. 6 showing' thekey in thelockagainst the action of the key-ejecting mechanism.

Referring now to the drawing, it will benoted that a 'cylinder lock of conventional make is mounted on a doorrsfl. (Fig. 6). This cylinder lock. includes a conventional cylinder or plug :8I rotatably'mounted in cylinder housing 102:.and a latching mechanism 82. A key 83,-insertable into cylinder 8| actuates said cylinder, to lock and unlock the latching mechanism through the instrumentality of bar or ton-gue'85. This bar is attached to the cylinder in conventional'manner and when thecylinder is caused to turn,rsaid bar'or tongue turns with it. The latching mechanism includes a slotted member86,'twhich" is connected to the roll-back 81 by which the bolt or latch 88' may be thrown in either direction. Tongue 85 is positioned to enter and engage said 'cumstances, it would be desirable to'withdraw thekey' fromthelockwhen' the latter is in 'un" slotted member 86, so that when the cylinder is turned, said tongue causes said memberfi iand the roll-back 8'! to turn in corresponding direction and to corresponding extent so that the bolt of the lock may be thrown accordingly.

The slotted member is rotatably mounted on a plate 89, which is affixed to housing-900i the latching mechanism. Hollow knob 9| is also turnably mounted on said housing in axial alignment with slotted member 86 and tongue 85. Knob 9| is the conventional'means of acwithout the aid of a key.

The key-e ecting mechanism of the present form of the invention comprises three major parts: a bar 95, a sleeve 96 connected to said bar, and a compression spring 9'! which is mounted in hollow knob 9| and which abuts the free end of sleeve 96. This sleeve is non-circular in cross section, and it is slidably mounted on tongue 85 of cylinder 8|. Bar 95 is so positioned on said sleeve, that it is unable to reach through the keyhole or slot 98 (see Figs. 1 and 6), of the cylinder to block the introduction of the leading end of a key. The free end of sleeve 96 is so positioned as to provide for engagement with slotted member 86 (Fig. 2). Compression spring 91 is mounted on the free end of tongue 85 and it tends to resist inward movement of sleeve 96 into housing 90..

When key 83 is inserted into keyhole or slot 98 of cylinder BI, it engages bar 95 and pushes said bar outwardly from said keyhole and in the direction of the latching mechanism above described. At the same time the key moves the lock tumblers to free or unlock the cylinder or plug for rotation relative to its housing. Since bar 95 and sleeve 96 are connected to each other,

[this has the efiect of pushing said sleeve in- I sition in key slot 98, thereby ejecting the key from said key slot. When, on the other hand, the key is turned with said cylinder from its position shown in Fig. 9 to any other angular position in the lock, said key will be prevented from moving out of the key slot in response to the action of spring 91, by reason of the engagement with said key of the cylinder tumblers. The keywill be ejectable from the cylinder only in the locked position of said cylinder relative to its housing, shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

A torsion spring I is aifixed to the rear of cylinder housing I02 to return the cylinder to its 'locked position from any other position to which it may have been turned. This torsion-- spring is attached at one end to a fixed post IOI (Fig. 4) on the cylinder housing I02 and the opposite end of the spring it attached to a cylindrical member I03 through which tongue 85,

sleeve 96 andbar 95 extend. Cylindrical member I03 moves integrally with the cylinder BI. Hence, when'the cylinder is turned by key 83 to unlocked position, cylindrical member I03 will turn integrally therewith against the action of torsion spring I00. such position, the torsion spring tends 'to return the cylinder to its original locked position, thereby freeing the key for ejection by the key-ejecting mechanism above described. It will be understood, therefore, that the torsion spring serves the purpose of returning the cylinder to locked position when the operator thereof forgetfully or absentmindedly fails to return it to locked position himself.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that 4 as modifications of the form thus shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: .1

l. A cylinder lock comprising a cylinder having a keyway, a tongue connected to said cylinder, a latching mechanism, a key-ejecting bar slidably mounted in said keyway, a sleeve slidably mounted on said tongue, said sleeve being in .slidable engagement with the latching mechanism and being also in operative engagement therewith, said sleeve and said bar being fixed against relative movement, a tension member disposed between said; latching mechanism and one end of said sleeve to resist the inward movement of said sleeve and bar in response to the pushing engagement with said bar of a key being inserted into said keyway.

2. A look of the character describedcomprising a cylinder lock having a keyway formed therein, a latching mechanism, a tongue connected to said cylinder lock and engaging said latching mechanism for actuating said mech anism when said cylinder lock isitself actuated by means of a key in its said keyway, and a keyejecting mechanism slidably mounted on said tongue and in said keyway for ejecting the key therefrom when the key is releasable from the lock, said ejecting mechanism comprising a sleeve which is slidable on said tongue, said sleeve and said tongue being fixed against relative angular movement, said sleeve being engageable, together with said tongue, with the latching mechanism to actuate said latching mechanism when the lock is actuated by ,its

. said key, a key-ejecting:barconnected to said key out of the keyway when the key is releasable When the key is released in' E from the-lock; H.

3. The combination. with a latch mechanism, a cylindertype of lock which has a keyway for a key, and a tongue which is adapted to actuate the latch mechanism, said tongue being attached to said cylinder; of a key-ejecting mechanism, said mechanism comprising a sleeve slidably mounted on said tongue, akey-ejecting bar fixedly connected to said sleeve and extending into said keywayin blocking position relative to a key being inserted therein, a compression spring mounted on said tongue and having one end bearing against apart of the latchmechanism and the other end bearing against said sleeve to yieldingly resist inward movement of the sleeve as well as of the bar when a key is inserted into the keyway in pushing engagement with said bar. q ANICETO R. VISITACION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

r UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,408,295 Hervey v Feb. 28, 1922 1,712,640 Roehrich May 14, 1929 1,738,105 Jacobi Dec. 3, 1929 1,828,747 Perry Oct. 27, 1931 1,917,778 Smith July 11, 1933 

